KW Cafeteria Chain Closes All Locations Immediately

KW Cafeteria, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based chain that has served families for nearly nine decades, announced the permanent closure of all its remaining locations on December 1, 2025, effective immediately.

The family-owned cafeteria-style restaurant, founded in 1937 as the Carolinian Coffee Shop and later renamed for co-founders William Wilson and T.K. Knight, operated primarily in North Carolina with additional sites in South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. At its height, the chain ran 35 locations, peaking at 33 in 2014 with systemwide sales of $101.3 million. By the end of 2024, however, it had shrunk to 10 locations and $27 million in annual sales, according to industry data from Technomic.

The announcement came without prior notice, catching both customers and employees off guard. In a statement posted on its website and social media pages, the company expressed regret over the decision. "It is with a heavy heart that we share this news," the post read. "After serving our communities for over 88 years, KW Cafeterias will be closing all doors effective immediately. KW has always been more than a restaurant; it has been a gathering place, a home for Sunday...